5 Auto Maintenance Tips Everyone Needs to Know

A conventional car can last for an average of 200,000 miles before it quits. Well-maintained or incredibly sturdy car models can reach lifespans of 300,000 miles or more. 

Do you want your car to last 300,000 miles or more? If you can’t afford a high-end car model, you’ll need to practice proper auto maintenance. Below you’ll find six tips that can help you extend the life of a vehicle. 

1. Add Protective Materials 

If you add protective materials to your vehicle, you won’t have to focus your vehicle care efforts so much on your car’s paint job. You can instead spend more time on the mechanical aspects of your car. Here are some features you should consider adding to your car: 

Car Window Tinting 

Car window tinting doesn’t just protect you from UV rays. It also protects the color of your car’s upholstery from fading. As a result, you won’t have to spend time and money replacing the upholstery in your car. 

Does this sound like something you want? If so, consider checking out the car window tint services here. 

Paint Protection Film 

With paint protection film (PPF), your car’s paint job will have protection from all the dangerous outdoor elements. If it doesn’t have this protection, these elements can damage the look of the paint. Road pebbles can chip the paint, chemicals can stain it, etc. 

If your paint job lasts longer, you won’t need to get new vehicle paint every year or so. Paint protection films will help your paint job last for years. 

2. Get Regular Auto Maintenance 

As you will see in the following sections, there are plenty of vehicle care steps that car owners can perform. But car owners can only do so much. Professional mechanics can do so much more. 

Spot Issues 

The Internet can teach car owners how to fix certain car issues. But if there’s an issue that’s close to causing a major, car owners may not notice it. Years of experience can make a mechanic’s eyes able to spot these issues quickly during a checkup. 

The mechanic can then fix the issue after spotting it. This will stop the issue from getting bigger and causing a huge problem down the road. 

Professional Auto Maintenance 

You don’t have to have your car mechanic handle all of your vehicle maintenance needs. But you should bring your car in for maintenance checkups once or twice a year. If you do, you’ll have to deal with fewer major issues. 

3. Car Tire Care Tips 

Car tires can cost you nearly 200 dollars each. Plus, you can end up in a very inconvenient situation should one of your car tires fail. Below you’ll find some ways to keep your car tires rolling. 

Rotating Your Tires 

Your car tires wear down at different rates depending on their position under the vehicle. Consider changing the positions of your tires once in a while. They’ll last longer this way and save you money. 

Check Tire Air Pressure 

Your tires need to stay inflated to work properly. Make sure to check the air pressure of your tires once or twice a week. If you do, you won’t get in a wreck and/or have a wreck in an inconvenient spot. 

Spare Tire Check-Up 

Your spare tire is your lifeline in tire blow-out situations. But it will be useless if it has a hole and/or is deflated. So when you check the air pressure on your working tires, check the spare one as well. 

4. Change Your Oil and Coolant 

Oil and coolant are two very important liquids your vehicle needs to function. If you don’t change these liquids according to the manufacturer’s instructions, you’ll be in terrible trouble. These liquids protect parts of your car from wearing down. 

Changing the Oil

Your car’s oil affects pretty much your entire vehicle. If your car has oil problems, you’ll have to pay to fix most of the components in your car. If you want to avoid a huge charge like that, change your oil regularly. 

Changing the Coolant 

You don’t need to change your car’s coolant as often, but it’s still a very important liquid. If you skip changing your car’s coolant, your car’s parts can become heavily corroded. In addition, your heater and air conditioner could stop working and leave you at Mother Nature’s mercy. 

You only need to check on your coolant once or twice a year. So you don’t have an excuse for being lazy in this instance. 

5. Things to Inspect 

Certain important parts of your car need regular inspection. If you don’t do this, you can destroy your car. 

Suspension System 

Your shocks, springs, and struts keep your car from bouncing up and down like a rollercoaster ride. Check these components and replace them to keep your ride smooth and stable. 

Car Lights 

Your headlights help you see other drivers on the road. The other lights on your car (brake lights, parking lights, and turn signals) help you communicate with other drivers. Test all of these lights at least once a month to stay safe. 

Belts and Hoses 

Your belts and hoses are important parts of your car’s engine. If any of these are weak or worn, your engine can fail. And with the way things often go, your engine will likely fail when you’re in a bad area. 

Check these car components regularly and replace them when they seem worn out.

Extend Vehicle Life With Other Advice 

A new vehicle is an expensive investment. You should want to get the most out of whatever car model you buy. The best way you can do this is to practice proper auto maintenance methods. 

Do you want to learn more about ways to take care of your vehicle? If so, check out our other auto and motor articles. They’re full of all kinds of helpful advice for auto care. 

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